<div dir="ltr"><p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><b>Four Years of Graduate Research Assistant Support (PhD)</b> for a qualified individual to study response of peatland ecosystems to climate change at Michigan Technological University, in collaboration with The University of Alaska (Fairbanks) and Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research site. Four years of NSF support are anticipated for research, tuition and stipend, to work in the Alaska Peatland Experiment (<a href="http://www.uoguelph.ca/Apex/APEX/The_Project.html" target="_blank">http://www.uoguelph.ca/Apex/APEX/The_Project.html</a>). In this experiment we are manipulating the presence of sedges and Ericaceae as well as water table to understand their interactive effects on peatland carbon cycling. Specific questions pertain to mechanisms of anaerobic metabolism within deep organic soils (peat), and how these processes are likely to change with altered hydrology and the effects of altered hydrology on plant functional groups. The successful candidate should have a background or strong interest in biogeochemistry, ecosystems ecology, plant physiological ecology, and/or peatland ecology. Demonstrated research experience, including scientific publications, is a plus.</p>
<p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> </p><p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">The position involves field work in Alaska during the summer, while being enrolled as a graduate student at Michigan Technological University. The project is interdisciplinary and collaborative in nature, and there are ample opportunities to work with collaborators at the USGS, the US Forest Service, Chapman University, and The University of Guelph. This allows exposure to multiple areas of expertise in different lab techniques, depending on the student’s interest and research questions. </p>
<p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> </p><p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Michigan Tech is located in the snowbelt (>200” annual snowfall) of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula on the South Shore of Lake Superior. The region is dominated by vast areas of lakes, forests and wetlands. Michigan Tech is in the small university town of Houghton, which was rated as one of the top 10 U.S. adrenaline outposts by National Geographic Adventure Magazine, boasting excellent skiing, hiking, kayaking and mountain biking. Michigan Tech's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science doctoral program has been recently ranked fourth in the nation by Academic Analytics.</p>
<p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> </p><p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Consideration of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Start date is somewhat flexible, but we are ideally looking for someone before summer semester, 2015. Please send a cover letter that states your research interests, your curriculum vitae, and any other relevant materials, and provide the names and contact information for three references, by email to Evan <span class="" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,204)">Kane</span> (<a href="mailto:eskane@mtu.edu" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">eskane@mtu.edu</span></a>) and Jason Keller (<a href="mailto:jkeller@chapman.edu" target="_blank">jkeller@chapman.edu</a>).</p>
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